Power mechanism for vending-machines.



SIT. GASTLEMAN.

POWER MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1911.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. T. OASTLEMAN.

POWER MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.9, 1911.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

at tomu o UNITED ssam-P OFFICE;-

SAMUEL 'r. ces'rmman, or Lomsvum, KENTUCKY, assrenon ro 'rnn'ru msumnca ua'onnvn COMPANY, or LOUISVILLE, xmn'rucxr, a coaromrron or,

ARIZONA TERRITORY.

' rowan mncrurmsu ron vsnnme-monmns.

To all whom'it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. CASTLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Mechanism for. Vending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in mechanism 'for generating energy and primarily employed as the means for operating the mechanism of a vending machine with the essential characteristic of storing energy npontheapplication of an applied weight to the power mechanism, an'd preferably limiting such energy storage to a minimum and snflicient for a ven ing operation.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide mechanism for thestorage of energy upon the application of an applied weight, in combination with means for effectmg a release 'of the energy storage beyond a minimum storage. Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism for storing energy for operatin balance said applied weight to provide a minimum storage ener of excess weight.

Another object of my invention. is to provide scale counterbalancing means, and means for releasing the connection between counterbalance and applied weight at a predetermined limit, with the release of counterbalance storing energy to operate subsidiary mechanism, after which the counterbalance again becomes effective to operate weight-indicating mechanism.

Another object of my invention is to provide scale counterbalancing means in combination with weight-indicating"means, and means .for adjustmg intermediate connec: tions thereof to effect proper graduations between the weight applied to the counterbalancing means and weight indicating means.

Another object of my invention is to provide a weight counterbalancing spring, adaptedtobe released of its weight. tension subsidiary mechanism upon the ap, pllcatlon of an apphed weight, to said power mechanlsm, with means serving to counter-.

gy 1n the application- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 12, 1911, Application filed January 9, 1911. mm No. 601.1211.

sidiarymechanism whereby the power thus created is mamtalned constant-for each action and'independent of excess weight up plied above the predeterminedlimit."

The various features of my invention will be more fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawin s, forming a part of this specification, in w ich:

- Flgure 1 1s a front elevation of my improved power and weight counter-balancing means as a phed to an insurance vending machine, 11 ustrating the same within the upper portion of the casing of such ma" chine. Fig. 2'is a detailed view of the connections between the counterbalaneing. mechanism and weight indicator. Fig. 3 1s a detailed view of the lever; mechanism for controlling the coin deposit, providing limitations to effect a vendin operation,

Fig. 4 isa central vertical section throu h of the power and weight counterbalancing .means illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 .is a section on line :11, a, Fig. 1. i

In the drawings, I have illustrated only so much of the vending machine to which my improvement is pre erably applied as is necessary to clearly understandthe operation. This class of machine, as illustrated or herem setforth, is an accident Insurance vending, machine, wherein a policy and stub are validated upon the de ositof the com and fed forward and disc urged from the machine and primarily one issuance for each deposit of coin. i I r This machine applies a limitation in that the weight of the vendee must beabove, a certain amount before the mechanism will function. It is obvious, however,' that while such limitation is advantageously employed herein, in that the parts are notoperative until such condition is com lied with, that the same can be-dispensed with in that other forms may be devised in-which the weight of the vendee is not an essential characteristic of the operation'of the mechanism.

1 represents-the base of the machine supporting the vertical column 2.

3 represents a platform projecting through an opening in the base 1 and movably vmounted in order that the weight of the downward movement.

7 represents a lever pivoted at a to brackets within the base of the machine, one end of which is pivotally connected to a lug 9, projected from the platform 3, while the opposite end is pivotally connected to a rod or connecting l nk 10.

11 represents 'a plunger having a clevis connection with the; link 10.

12 represents a cross-plate suitably supported within the column, provided with'a cylindricaldome 13, said cross-plate being provided with a series of depending rods 14, supporting the plate 15, which in turn supports the power and weight-balancing mechanism. The limbs of the plunger 11, straddling the plate 15, serving as guides therefor in the vertical movement of the plunger, 16 represents a cylinder slidable upon the rack' rod 17 which projects through said cylinder and through the dome 13, of'

- the cross-plate 12, and also through the plate 15andguided vertically thereby, the upper end of said rod 17 provided with the rack teeth 18, in mesh with a rack-pinion mounted on the shaft 19.

20 represents ratchet mechanism forming connection between the rack pinion and shaft 19, whereby the shaft is rotated upon the upward movement of the rack rod 17 and idle on the return stroke of said rod.

- The rod 17 is provided with a collar 21 to limit the upward movement thereof, the same adapted to engage with the crossplate 15. I j 22 represents a collar loose upon the cyl:

" inder 16, and adjacentto the plunger 11.

23 represents a second collar loose upon the opposite end of the cylinder 16, but pinned to the rack rod 17, by a pin 24, see

- Fig. 4, projecting through slots 25, formed in the cylinder 16, thereby permitting independent movement between rod 17 and cylinder 16.

26 represents a spring interposed between the collars 22 and 23, forming the power and weight counterbalancing spring which initially, after it has been compressed slightly and the rack rod 17 released, ex-

erts upward pressure on the rack rod 17 rotating the shaft 19 for a vending operation. 27 represents a spring, one end of which is secured to the connection between plunger and link 10, while'its opposite end is connected to the frame of the machine, serving to automatically restore these parts to normal position. Y

As illustrated, the shaft 19 is tripped by coin-controlled means, the mechanism being preferably of the type as illustrated in Fig. 5; It is obvious, however, that the shaft 19 may be variously controlled and the same is merely illustrated herein to show a form for locking the shaft and power mechanism out of commission during the energy storthe lever 32, pivotally supported, said lever projecting into a coin-chute 45.

34 represents a spring for exerting tension on the bell crank lever 31, and 35 represents a spring connected-to the lever 32. Thus, on depositing a coin in the coin-chute 45, it will engage the lever 32 and trip the same, releasing lever 31 and raising the roller from one of the shoulders in the cam wheel, permitting the shaft 19 to revolve until the roller-on the bell crank lever 31 engages the second shoulder formed in the cam wheel. The eccentricity of'the cam grooves in the rotation of the cam wheel moves the bell crank lever to the position shown in Fig. 5, permitting the same to engage with the latch lever 32 and also present the roller in, line with'the shoulder, to engage therewith, positioning the parts for a second operation.

As illustrated, means are provided to control the deposit of the coin by closing the coin chute until the energy storage is sufiicient for a vending operation, and also forms the means controlling the limitation as to the amount of weight necessary to be applied. The mechanism for accomplishing the same is preferably of the type as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which 36 represents a lever having the cam end 37, and pivotally mounted upon a plate 38, which is adapted" to be adjustably secured to the depending rods 14.

39 represents a link pivotally connected to the levers 36, 40, the latter being pivotally mounted upon a suitable bearing'41.

upon the shaft 44, the arid-42 being piv otal-ly' connected to the lever;40, andthc arm 48 isi' adapted to project through, a slot formedin the coin-chute-45, therebyblocking the passage of thecoin-chute against insertion or descent ofthe coin within said chute; i i

r 46 represents a pin projected from the collar 22, adapted toengage with the camend 87 of the lever 86 uponthe 'u ward p slide bar 47 and lever 51., a

movement of the plunger 11 and (:01 av 22, shifting the lever 36 soflas to move the arm 48' out of the coin chute path and thereb ermit the coin to be deposited and a ven i n operation effected.

he weight indicating mechanism is preferably constructed as follows:47 re resents a slide rod supported in suit-able guides and provided with a slot 48, through which the pin 46 projects so'as to move the rod 47 verticall upon upward movement of the collar 22, t e slot bein such as to provide idle movement of the pm 46 prior to actuating the rod, whereby the predetermined limit-of weight required-to o erate the mathereby also chine is not registered, an formin means for non-registering weight until a ter a coin deposit. 49 and50 represent links pivotally connected together and the link 49 pivotally' connectedtothe rod 427, while the link-50 is pivot-ally-connected to the lever 51, the latter being pivotally supported on a suitable bearing '52. 53,- 54, represent intermediate pivoted link connec tions between the lever 51 andarm 56,- see Fig. 2, the latter being connected or formed integral with the rack segment 57., pivotally' mounted upon the rod 44, said rack segment engaging with a rack bar 58, see Fig. 1, slidably supported and also in en- 'agement with the pinion 59, the said pinion mg in connection with an indicator hand 60. The links 49 and 50 have a sliding engagement with the guideplate 62, said guide plate being adjustably mounted and provides gaging means between the scale graduations and latform, for, properly setting the same re ative to the counterbalancing spring andapplied-weight, to give an accurate weight indication. This uide plate provides difi'erential movements etween the The operation of the machine can be changed in principle-without changeof resalt or mechanism,'in that the spring 16 in normal position can be compresse sufiiciently to operate the vending mechanism upon the release of the main shaft, inwhich such energy may be said :to be normally stored or the storagecan be effected by the weight of the ven ee,

vendln operation. In the first instance, the spring 27 can be of such strength as to require a predetermined weight to be apinitially compressing the spring to store the power required for a plied upon the platform 8; before its resistance w1ll be overcome to permit the Innger 11 to move vertically and shift the ever 86 sufii'cien tly to open the coin chutefor a com deposlt. Depositing the coin in this lnstance would release the shaft 19 and allow sprlng 16 to expand, carrying with it collar 22 and rack rod 17. Any excess we: ht would continue to raise the plun or 11, ring the pm 46 enga ment with the rod 47 an meve'thsxwei'g t-indicatin mechanism to register the; weight applie upon the platform. sInthe second instance, the spring 27 use! asuficient strength to res re the parts to normal and the cam end of lever 36 in such positionto allow the plunger 11 to compressthe'spring 16 suflicient upon the application of} a: predetermlne weight uponjthe'platfonn to store up enough energy to operate the vending mechanism upon the re ease of shaft 19, but in which the coin-wouldnot' be released or capable of insertion until'such required storage had been effected. The'collar 22, at its pm, in such instance, would not engage and trip the cam lever 36 until after a'predetermined idle movement was had,;alfter which,

upon release of the shaft 19, the sameoperation would take place, as described-in the firstinstance; i-

-- Various modifications can be devisedcommg under the scope of this invention, and I therefore do not wish to be'limited to the cally. set forth in the claims.

, aving described'm invention, Iclaiinz- 1. Ina machine o the class described, weighin mechanism,'combined powerfstob age an weight counterbalancmgarmcha- I11SII1 "1I1 connection with said weighing mechanism,=-power transmitting mechanism adapted-t to operate sufiaidiary mechanism,

plicatlon of a weight,"power transmitting mechanism in connectlon therewith, locked against. operation until the required energy storage has been effected; its; release operating subsidiary mechanism," "said power storage and weight counterbalancing mechanism comprising a coilspring, adapted to be initially compressed 'a limited degree for storing energy, and, after release thereof additionally compressed to counterbalance the weight in excess of the amount required for initlal com ression.

'3'. In a mac me of the class described, I

weighing mechanism, a spring having connection therewith compressed for energy storage by a predetermined weight applied said weighing mechanism and power transmitting mechanism, means for locking said:

power transmitting..}mechanism against operation, adapted to be released upon the application of a predeterminedl weight upon said weighing mechanism, compressing said spring and storing energy sufficient to operate subsidiary mechanism in connection-with sald transmitting mechanisin jupon the release thereof. i; 3":

5. In a machine of the class described, weighing mechanism, power transmitting mechanism in connection with said weighing mechanism, a spring interposed between said weighing mechanism and power transmitting mechanism, means for locking said transmitting mechanism against operation permitting the spring to be compressed upon the application of a weightupon said weighing' mechanism, whereby its compressed power is conveyed to said transmitting mechanism upon therelease thereof.

6. In a machine of the class described, weighing mechanism, power transmitting mechanism, means for locking said power transmitting mechanism against operation, a spring interposed between-said weighing and power transmitting'inechanism, adapted to store energy upon application ,of a weight to said weighing; mechanism, said energy being impart d-'1, saifd'power mechanism upon release thereof, means'forlimiting the movement of-"said power transmitting mechanism afterits release, whereby the spring will serve as counterbalancing means for the weighing mechanism.

'7. ha machine of the class described, wei hing mechanism, power transmitting mec anism, means for locking said power transmitting mechanism against operation,

a spring interposed between said weighing .5 I

and power transmitting mechanism, adapted to store energy upon application of a weight to said weighing mechanism, said energy being imparted to said power mechanism upon release thereof, and means governed by a predetermined wei ht for controlling Y said power releasing mec anism.

8. In a machine of the class described, weighing mechanism, power transmitting mechanism, means for locking said power transmitting, mechanism against operation, a s ring interposed between said weighing and power transmitting mechanism adapted to store energy upon application of a weight to said weighing mechanism, said energy being imparted to said power mechanism Weight determining springconnected therei with, mechanism operating from saidstored energy, means actuated by the application of a weight to the platform for moving the spring a predetermined distance fIIDCtIODal solely for storing energy, and means undei the control of the operator enabling the movement of the spring beyond the energy storage point to determine weight upon the platform, Where such applied weight is more than suflicientto efiect the energy storage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL TICASTLEMAN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER B. Ki IsnR, CLARENCE B. Fos'rnn. 

